You have the Río Grande. On top of that was the indigenous acequia system. Then the Spaniards came into different portions of the state and enhanced what was already here. New Mexico is also a major flyway for birds and geese – the water and the flora accompany that. Roads in cities are overlaid with freeways following those major routes. And so, we identify with that. The idea of trails is still part of the contemporary vocabulary, even though we don’t see the original – it’s like a historic X-ray.

North Central Loop

New Mexico fiber arts grow organically from the land and the cultures it nurtures. The people are as varied as the landscape: Pueblo communities with roots growing deep into the soil, centuries-old Hispanic villages tucked into fertile valleys, artist communities re-inhabiting abandoned mining and mill towns. Their stories are an interwoven tapestry, built row upon row into striking patterns, at once familiar and new.

Visit home studios, long-established workshops, yarn emporiums brimming with color and inspiration, fiber farms inhabited by fleece-covered creatures, galleries abundant with local treasure and community centers built around fiber arts. If you’re moved to nurture your own creativity, the materials and willing teachers are close at hand.